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Articles
> Five Secrets to Double Your Response
Rate
by Monica Calzolari
- Your list determines
at least 40% of your success in direct
marketing. Knowledge is power.
The more you know about your customers,
the better you can target prospects with
similar likes and dislikes. The biggest
advantage to direct mail is that you can
cost-effectively communicate with those
most likely to respond to your product
or service. Your best letter and the greatest
special offer will have no impact if your
list is not well targeted. Given how quickly
people move, change jobs and how often
companies merge, it is challenging to
keep your list up-to-date. The name of
a valid decision maker is critical to
your success. Invest in prequalifying
your list by telemarketing.
- Make your offer
compelling to elicit immediate action.
Readers want to know "What's in it for
me?" A direct mail piece or sales letter
without a call to action and an incentive
for responding is a waste of money. Spell
out the benefits to the prospect very
clearly. What will you offer to the prospect
for responding? Offering something FREE
and add an expiration date to stimulate
a response. With so much competing for
our attention, we need more than one reason
to respond. Include as many benefits in
the copy of the direct mail piece plus
at least one specific call to action.
Your offer will determine nearly 40% of
your success. When the stakes are that
high, testing your offer is the only way
to take the guesswork out of the equation.
It is extremely important to know your
target audience well enough to know what
would cause them to take action. Make
them an offer they cannot resist.
- Your copy and
creative packaging must grab the reader's
attention right away. First impressions
count. You have seconds to state "what
else is in it for the reader?" Whether
you use a letter in a closed envelope
with or without copy on the envelope or
a simple postcard, your first line or
two of copy must capture the reader's
attention and give them ample reasons
to keep reading. Your copy must speak
directly to the needs of those decision
makers you selected. First arouse interest.
Then ask for the order. Direct marketers
frequently spend 80% of their time on
this phase of a campaign when it is only
worth 20% of your success. Concentrate
on your list and your offer. Then, make
your copy relevant to the needs of that
audience.
- Make it easy
for your reader to respond and you'll
get more responses. Offer multiply
ways to take you up on your offer and
include methods that work 24 hours per
day, 7 days per week. Toll-free numbers,
e-mail and postage-paid Business Reply
Cards are highly recommended because they
are FREE to the prospect. Faxes are a
fourth option. The more options you include,
the more likely you'll appeal to the preferences
of your diverse readers. Be prepared to
accept credit card payments over the phone
and over the Internet.
- Direct marketing
requires multiple exposures. Test
your list, offer and copy for best results.
Budget for at least three mailings within
2-4 weeks of each other as your first
test. It is far better to send mail to
fewer prospects more often then to send
mail to a larger sample less frequently.
It takes multiple exposures to make a
lasting impression. Many amateurs send
one letter or postcard and quit when they
get a disappointing response rate. Direct
marketing is a long-term strategy and
investment. The return on your investment
compounds over time. Sales experts say
that it takes 5-6 exposures before a sale
is made. Frequent and consistent communication
is critical in today's competitive marketplace.
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